Not very, says James Tall of Tall Networking, a computer consultant to small businesses. A client was recently sucked into a fraud scam and reports some very serious obstacles trying to fix problems created.

“I consider myself extremely tech savvy, but there was enough plausibility to get me hooked,” said Tall. The client found a job posting on one of best known internet job posting sites, Monster.com, looking for someone to handle money transfers for internet software purchases to an East European company.

After submitting an application to a professional looking website he was selected and a purchase was made with proceeds going to his Paypal account. “The last two emails I got from company were from anonymous email companies and I got suspicious. I called person who supposedly made purchase” client said. They reported they knew nothing about an internet purchase or software company involved and he suggested they contact their credit card companies and credit bureaus.

Tall said, “That’s when I started making phone calls and found that there was no one to call.” The local police suggested a call to FBI, where local office was closed and office in state Capital had an impatient receptionist who suggested an email to National White Collar Crime Center (www.nw3c.com or www.ifccfbi.gov ). The NW3C web site states they have no investigative authority. The state Attorney General’s office had no answer. The US Secret Service said to call FBI.

Three weeks later, Paypal has reversed payment, but neither they nor NW3C made any direct contact to discuss what went on.

By Neil Street, Co-Founder, Small Business Online, Wilton, CT

Most small businesses do not yet advertise on internet. But with undeniable growth in internet traffic, it’s only a matter of time before many businesses will need to consider online advertising.

Everyone is familiar with traditional Yellow Pages phone book. Less familiar is internet extension of print book – hodgepodge of advertising options that can loosely be termed Internet Yellow Pages (IYP). A range of companies are jumping on IYP bandwagon, all chasing elusive, and thus far unmaterialized, local advertising dollars. Companies like Verizon, with their SuperPages directory, or like Yahoo!, with their Yahoo! “Get Local” directory, and assorted publishers of print telephone directories, are all players in IYP field. Basically, they all offer variations on a basic theme: structured, directory-like indexing of information on internet, with added features unknown in print books, such as mapping, keyword searching, and website links.

The most compelling reason for a website owner to advertise on IYP is increasing consumer usage of internet for finding local products and services. Actual figures vary widely, but well-known analysts such as Kelsey Group have noted growing boom in “local search.” Given this growth, IYP becomes an advertising opportunity worthy of consideration.